Latest News

Conor Grant appointed incoming Chairman of Racecourse Media Group

Published

3 years ago

January 19, 2023

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Conor Grant has been appointed incoming Chairman of Racecourse Media Group (RMG), the umbrella organisation for 35 British racecourse shareholders and parent company of Racing TV.

Grant will initially join as a Non-Executive Director on April 1, 2023 and then succeed Roger Lewis as Chairman on October 1, 2023.

Grant, an enthusiastic racehorse owner, brings to the role 24 years of experience in the UK and Irish gambling sector, including 14 years in senior executive roles. He was most recently CEO of Flutter UK & Ireland, which includes brands Sky Bet, Paddy Power, tombola and Betfair and, prior to that, was Chief Operating Officer of Sky Betting & Gaming.

In 2021, RMG’s racecourse shareholders were paid £110m, a figure which will be exceeded for the media and data revenues generated in 2022. RMG is 100% owned by its racecourse shareholders and pays 100% of operating profit back to racecourses, which, in turn, benefits the sport. This collective and collaborative approach has enabled RMG’s businesses to become the biggest single funder of British horseracing.

Grant said: “I am delighted to be joining Racecourse Media Group at such an exciting time for the business and the broader racing industry. RMG has delivered outstanding results for its shareholders in recent years and I would like to pay tribute to Roger who has done a fantastic job, along with CEO Martin Stevenson, in growing and developing the business. I look forward to working with the RMG team and continuing to deliver for all of our racecourses”

Nevin Truesdale, CEO of The Jockey Club and Non-Executive Director on the RMG Board, said: “I am delighted to welcome Conor to the RMG Board and to be working with him as we further develop the business for the benefit of its shareholder racecourses. Conor brings significant and in-depth expertise to the industry, acquired over a long period of time, and this will help shape our strategies and address the challenges we are facing.”

Adam Waterworth, MD of Events at the Goodwood Estate and Non-Executive Director on the RMG Board, said: “Conor brings a wealth of experience to the role, particularly through his senior roles at Sky Betting & Gaming, and then Flutter. He is perfectly positioned to take RMG forward and help build and strengthen our relationships across the industry.”

Outgoing Chairman, Roger Lewis, joined the RMG Board in 2012 and was appointed Non-Executive Independent Chairman on January 1, 2019. During his time on the Board, RMG has increased its licence fees and dividend payments to its racecourses from £45m to over £110m. He was due to step down in 2022 but was asked by the Board to extend his tenure to help oversee the transition. Independent Non-Executive Director Andy Anson will also be stepping down, in April, having completed his full tenure on the RMG Board, which he joined in 2017.

Lewis said: “It is a tribute to the team at RMG that we have secured Conor as our next Chair and we all welcome Conor’s appointment. I am confident that Conor will take RMG to even greater heights in the years to come. On behalf of the RMG Board, I would also like to thank Andy Anson, who has been a much-valued friend and colleague of us all for the past six years, chairing our Audit committee with great skill and commitment.

“RMG is in great shape. We are about to announce record results for the past year and I congratulate the executive team at RMG for consistently delivering the best possible returns for our racecourses and the sport of horseracing”

Truesdale added: “I would like to pay tribute to Roger Lewis for a very effective and successful stewardship of RMG, a business which is of fundamental importance to the financial performance of racecourses and therefore to the whole sport of horseracing. On behalf of everyone at the Jockey Club, I would like to thank Roger for all he has done for the business.”

Balkans

SYNOT Group Announces New Partnership with Lutrija Bosne i Hercegovine

Published

34 minutes ago

May 22, 2026

Wladimir P.

synot-group-announces-new-partnership-with-lutrija-bosne-i-hercegovine

SYNOT Group has announced a new partnership with Lutrija Bosne i Hercegovine. Following the successful completion of all stages of the Public Call for Business Cooperation, SYNOT has been selected as an additional supplier for operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina for a period of up to five years.

“The announcement of the Public Call for the Submission of Offers for Business Cooperation represented a clear challenge for us, and we are very pleased to have succeeded. Immediately after its completion, we signed a contract with Lutrija Bosne i Hercegovine for the supply of up to 500 units of the latest gaming equipment,” said Roland Andrýsek, Sales Director of SYNOT Group.

“This is a challenge for the Lottery of BiH as well, a new partnership and an opportunity for further growth and development. SYNOT Group has excellent references and experience across many markets, and I am confident that we will achieve strong results,” said Edhem Pašukan, Director of Lutrija Bosne i Hercegovine.

Local players can soon look forward to the introduction of entirely new gaming systems, Gamifire Prime and Exclusive Games – the latest game mixes in SYNOT’s portfolio, offering dozens of engaging titles ranging from classic fruit and themed games to popular Hold & Win concepts. The delivery will also include the proven Explosive Games Premium+ systems. All game mixes will be supplied together with state-of-the-art SYNOT cabinets, including the most advanced models ST2-32, ST3-27, Eclipse FL-32, as well as the highly popular UP1-24.

“SYNOT Group has a long-standing history and a strong position in the Balkan market. This region is of strategic importance to us, and establishing cooperation with another leading state lottery in the region represents an important milestone in our expansion and confirms our commitment to delivering top-quality gaming equipment to the region,” said Roland Andrýsek, Sales Director of SYNOT Group.

The post SYNOT Group Announces New Partnership with Lutrija Bosne i Hercegovine appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

2026 FIFA World Cup

Americans Expected to Bet More Than $3B on the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Published

34 minutes ago

May 22, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

americans-expected-to-bet-more-than-$3b-on-the-2026-fifa-world-cup

A new report by Sweeps Pulse estimates American bettors will place total bets amounting to about $3.1 billion on the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This represents the most extensive single sport betting event ever conducted inside the US. The estimate also exceeds the $1.8 billion projected amount for wagers placed on the Super Bowl in 2024. Both amounts represent growth in the legal sports betting market. The 2026 football competition will be held in the US, Canada and Mexico.

Projected Betting Breakdown (2026 FIFA World Cup)

• $1.6 billion via licensed U.S. sportsbook apps

• $920 million via offshore and unlicensed platforms

• $380 million via retail sportsbook locations

• $200 million via sweepstakes and social sports formats

Why This Tournament is Different

There have been no previous World Cups where there is serious U.S. betting volume. This is due to the mobile sports betting being non existent in the U.S. for a large part of the time leading up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. There is now a huge difference when it comes to how mature (and big) the market is in 2026; all major players in the space are already established; they each have their own significant budgets to promote their brand(s); and users have developed four years worth of habits using the NFL, NBA, and College Sports to bet on games.

Another fact is that many of the 2026 World Cup games will be held in cities like New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Miami will generate much more local involvement.

The Mobile Factor

In terms of placement (mobile apps) it is estimated that 68% of all World Cup bets will be made using mobile apps. This is compared to an estimate of 41% of all bets taken in the 2018 World Cup. The sportsbooks have committed to spending an estimated $400 million on promotions related to the World Cup. These promotions include but are not limited to; Deposit Matches, Odds Boosts, Free-Bets, and other promotions targeting new soccer bettors.

Key mobile betting statistics:

• Average user session time per game is 23 minutes during major soccer events. Major soccer events average 38% longer than NFL regular season games.

• There is an expectation that live in-game betting will make up 44% of the total World Cup wagered amount.

• FanDuel and DraftKings are expected to take approximately 58% of the licensed app volumes.

The Soccer Audience is Younger and Growing

There are many factors that contribute to an increase in betting at this time. One major factor contributing to the surge in bets at this time is demographics. The data collected from surveys shows that 61% of Gen Z sports bettors have soccer as one of their top 3 wagering sports, while only 29% of bettors who are over 50 years old identify soccer as one of their top 3 wagering sports. This trend demonstrates how the demographics of the sports-betting population are changing.

The post Americans Expected to Bet More Than $3B on the 2026 FIFA World Cup appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

AGLC

Alberta iGaming Corporation Appoints Dan Keene as its CEO

Published

34 minutes ago

May 22, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

alberta-igaming-corporation-appoints-dan-keene-as-its-ceo

Dan Keene, who served as the interim CEO of the Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC), has been appointed to the role permanently, effective April 21, 2026. Under his leadership, AiGC will launch Alberta’s regulated iGaming market on July 13. Keene has played a pivotal role in shaping the province’s gaming landscape, both through his work standing up AiGC and in his previous roles at the Alberta Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis Commission (AGLC).

“Dan brings deep operational experience and a strong track record in gaming and market development. His leadership will be essential as the Alberta iGaming Corporation prepares for launch and delivers a regulated market built on social responsibility and player protection,” said Sanjeev Kad, Board Chair, Alberta iGaming Corporation.

About Dan Keene

Serving as Vice-President, Gaming at AGLC since July 2022, Keene overseen a broad portfolio, including gaming retail services, technical operations, compliance, online gambling, player loyalty, supply chain, electronic gaming, and product development across Alberta. He has been instrumental in advancing consumer-focused initiatives. He co-led the creation of Winner’s Edge, Alberta’s first province-wide casino loyalty program, and guided the operations of PlayAlberta.ca, currently, the province’s only regulated online gambling platform. Previously, Keene worked at AGLC as Manager, Casino Products. In this role, he led a team of specialists responsible for selecting slot games and terminals for Alberta’s 30 casinos and 750 VLT locations. Before joining AGLC, he completed successful tenures with Molson Breweries and Century Casinos Inc.

The post Alberta iGaming Corporation Appoints Dan Keene as its CEO appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.